The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta, cultivar name, xe2x80x98Touch of Classxe2x80x99.
The new cultivar was selected as a chemically induced mutation by the inventor of the non-patented Hosta hybrid xe2x80x98Junexe2x80x99 (unpatented) in about June of 1995 in Waseca, Minn., United States of America.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was in 1999 at Waseca, Minn., The United States of America, by division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features of this new Hosta plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Touch of Classxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish the new Hosta as a new and unique cultivar:
1. Medium sized, heavily substanced cordate leaves which tend to be more pointed and wedge shaped when the plant is mature comprising a compact small to medium to sized plant mound;
2. Yellow centered leaves with a very wide uneven blue margin which comprises approximately two-thirds of the leaf area, the leaves having an apparent third color, that may be yellow-green to green in apparent color where the margin and center colors meet; and
3. Relatively large pale lavender flowers are presented above the foliage in late-summer.
The new Hosta can be compared to its parent cultivar, xe2x80x98Junexe2x80x99. In the new Hosta the variegation pattern has a much more pronounced and substantial margin than in the Hosta xe2x80x98Junexe2x80x99. The yellow center of the new Hosta is reduced proportionally to the increased size of the margin. In addition, the new Hosta bears flowers which are noticeably larger than the flowers of the parent cultivar.
The new Hosta cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary to some extent with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without any variance in genotype.